Retired Workers

Conference notes that, although the island of Ireland is in a more favourable position than most European countries, demographic change will bring significant challenges. An ageing population will increase the share of GDP required to fund pensions, healthcare and residential care. These challenges are compounded by the fact that continuing high levels of public debt, and the repayments associated with it, will severely restrict the fiscal leeway available to future governments. Demographic change will itself adversely affect the rate of economic growth such that growth rates of no more than 1-2 per cent can be expected in the medium to long term, thus further restricting the resources available. It is most important that these trends should not be allowed to develop into intergenerational cleavages between the economically active and the retired cohorts of the population. Ensuring the best outcome for everyone requires a re-orientation of social protection towards social investment based on a new distributional accord for post-recovery Ireland. Conference asserts that it is the right of every worker to expect to spend their retirement years in financial security and with all their health and care needs provided for, and calls on governments to act now to ensure this. Adopted

Executive Council